Of all the species you expect to catch on your local canal, an ide, especially one of this size would be well down the list. That was certainly the case for angler Andrew Stubbs, who was more than surprised to see this 6lb 12oz specimen surface after taking a liking to his float-fished lobworm during a session on the New Junction Canal.
Fishing with a good friend, the pair started their morning by casting some lures for the resident chub and perch, but after little success they settled into a favourable looking swim in the hope something else was feeding, and it was here the completely unexpected fish turned up.
"We both set up two float rods, fishing just into the drop off which were baited with a handful of maggots every 15 minutes in the hope of drawing some fish into the swim," Andrew told us.
"The day progressed with no real action, other than the odd little perch and small skimmers, until just after lunchtime when my float slid away and I connected with a decent eel. Pleasingly it was lipped hooked and on netting it spat the hook out so I could release it easily," he added.
ONE OF THE BEST FISHING CHAIRS WILL MAKE SURE YOU ARE SAT COMFORTABLY DURING YOIUR SESSION.
"I recast with a fresh lobworm and settled back into putting the world to rights, with very little occurring until about 40 minutes later, when I turned to grab a drink from my bag and noticed my float moving."
"Thankfully, I was alert, as I just managed to grab the last couple of inches of my rod butt before it slid out of the rod rest and into the canal."
Having managed to stop his rod going for a swim, Andrew was now bent into a good fish that was powering off across the canal. After carefully applying some pressure, he managed to turn the fish, bringing it under control as it made its way towards the anglers, giving them their first glimpse of the mystery species in the clear water.
"As it surfaced we thought it might be a carp or a big chub as the stretch does hold some fantastic specimens and with its power, we weren't sure what else it could be. Despite its best efforts to escape, my friend managed to slip the net under it," Andrew recalled.
"The fish was unhooked and left in the net to recover whilst we deliberated about what species it could possibly be. We weighed the fish, got a quick photo and following a good rest in the net, it swam off strongly."
"While we may not have caught the fish we were targeting, it is certainly a session we will never forget," he concluded.
THE BEST FISHING RODS WILL HELP YOU CATCH BIGGER FISH ON THE FLOAT!
Subscribe to Angling Times magazine today. Choose a Print+ Subscription and you'll get instant digital access and so much more. PLUS FREE UK delivery.